The Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, have returned to Lubero territory in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. International Christian Concern, cited by PJ Media, describes the ADF as an Islamic rebel terrorist group. The name sounds like a bureaucratic coalition; the conduct described in the report is anything but allied or democratic. On November 3, ADF fighters targeted Maikengu village, looting homes and businesses and setting fires.
Local authorities told ICC, “the attackers looted homes and businesses before setting fire to houses, shops, and pharmacies. As news of the attack spread, residents began fleeing for safety. Some are heading toward Kambau and Nziapanda, leaving behind their homes and everything they worked hard to build. In this attack, one Christian was found killed with a machete alongside many others who remain untraceable.”
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also dealing with a serious Ebola outbreak, leaving many civilians, especially Christians, trapped between a natural disaster and a man-caused one. A woman whom ICC called Jannette said, “We have already lost so much to Ebola disease, and now we are afraid of losing even more,” and added, “Doctors, church leaders and local leaders are advising us to avoid crowded places, or avoid unnecessary visits, but today, with the new ADF attack, we were obliged to run for our lives. Every day, we worry about our families; we just want to live in peace and feel safe in our villages.”
Calling this merely “instability” would be a remarkably polished way to avoid naming the victims and the attackers. Christian families are trying to survive disease, displacement, arson, and murder while armed extremists turn villages into escape routes.
The danger is not confined to Congo. In October, Islamic State, or ISIS, jihadis kidnapped Egyptian Christian Milad Malak, a Coptic deacon from Sebarbay, Egypt, who had moved to Libya to find work. The source notes that approximately 97% of Libyans are Muslim and that ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other jihadi groups operate in the country and battle government forces. The U.S. government has also long expressed concern about and coordinated actions against Islamic terrorism in Libya.
Malak traveled with two Muslim friends to Zliten, Libya, where they joined other Egyptians seeking work. On October 4, ISIS kidnapped the group and held them for ransom. The captors abused them during their captivity. Malak’s friends were released after their families paid a $4,700 ransom, and they were receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Egypt.
Milad’s sister, Madonna Malek, told Worthy News that the family paid a ransom, but the kidnappers refused to release Milad because he was the only Christian in the group. They violently pressured him to convert to Islam. Milad stood firm in his faith, telling his persecutors, “Even if you cut me into pieces, I would never renounce my faith.” The terrorists killed him. The report further notes that in African countries facing Islamic terrorism, terrorists may kidnap Muslims but are much more likely to rape and kill Christians.
This account is based on reporting from PJ Media, which cited International Christian Concern and Worthy News.
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